Best Ways to Recycle and Compost Dog Waste for Free
Dog waste should be composted, not put into a septic tank; it heats up enough to destroy pathogens and provides nutrients that can be utilized in your yard and under your trees. Composting dog waste also keeps tons of material being added to a landfill or sewer system that is already overwhelmed.
This article will explain how to correctly make a compost heap out of your dogs waste without buying all of those things other sites are trying to sell you.
It is unfortunate that since the introduction of Steve Solomon´s great Organic Gardeners Composting back in the 1980s that so many people have followed his suggestions without reasoning them out. Mr. Solomon—unaware of how to correctly compost dog stools to destroy parasites—recommended that dog waste not be added to compost. Since then, most articles recommend the same. For 15 years, there have been sites on the internet that claim to be “composting” dog waste but are actually proposing the construction of small sewage systems.
You can compost your dog´s poop
This article is not about to teach you how to build a dog waste septic system. If you want to do that, you can go out and buy a barrel and then there are about 100 other sites on the internet that will show you what to do. Sewage systems that require the purchase of large plastic containers and chemical inoculants purchased at the grocery store are neither friendly to the environment nor friendly to your budget.
This article will tell you the benefits of correctly composting your dog´s stool and also tell you how to do it properly. If you have a cat, and you use biodegradable litter, her waste can be added also.
Why Bother Composting Dog Waste?
Each year, tons of dog stool are thrown into trash cans and end up in sanitary landfills. When dog waste is composted, it becomes a nutrient that will improve your yard and trees. When your soil is lacking in organic matter, no amount of chemical fertilizer you purchase is going to improve things the way you want. The compost you produce, with the material you already have on hand (dog waste), will improve things the way you want.
If you live in an apartment, I realize that this is not a viable option. You have nowhere to compost and wouldn’t have anything to do with the compost anyway.
Are there problems with using dog waste?
There are some pathogens that can spread from dogs to humans. Most of the bacteria will die easily, and in The Humanure Handbook (Chapter 7, Worms and Disease), the author says that roundworms can survive for 90 days in a shady area.
The University of Minnesota did some research in this area and determined that in order to destroy harmful worm eggs your compost would need to exceed 165 degrees for five days. The University of Oregon ran tests and determined that a compost pile that reached 130 degrees and was turned five times (at three-day intervals) would no longer contain pathogens.
If you live in a suburb and only have a small space, you really need to build or buy a compost system. I have added a plan here and there are numerous videos available on YouTube to help you build a compost bin. If you need further instructions on how to utilize this composting system, you can purchase an e-book called Humanure Toilet Instruction Manual.
How Do I Compost Dog Waste the Right Way?
You do not need to buy a storage bin, you certainly do not need to buy a chemical to add to your compost mixture. The process is ridiculously simple.
- Mark the area where you will be composting. Some people will need to do it in a trash bin to save space, and if you have a smaller back yard this is the best way. If you need to save money find an old trash bin that someone is throwing out--just drill holes around the side and in the bottom of the trash bin and put it in the place where you want to make your compost. (If you have a larger yard you might want to build a compost bin out of old wood or pallets that you can get for free; if you live on a farm just make a pile and do not even bother building a structure to hold the compost.)
- When you pick up a shovel full of dog stool, cover it with a shovel full of carbon material like grass clippings. (Since the carbon: nitrogen ratio of dog stool is about 6:1—similar to chicken manure and much better than cow manure—you only need to add about one scoop of carbon material to cover two scoops of stool.) I have a friend who is a carpenter so I always have access to wood shavings; that is what I use. If you want to use grass clippings that is fine, and since they rot quickly they are even a better choice.
- Every few days (if you need a rigid schedule do it every Monday and Thursday) toss a shovel full of old compost on to the pile so that there will be beneficial bacteria to speed up the digestion. If you are starting out, just use dirt from your garden. If you have seen those other sites that tell you to buy a product and dump it on top of your compost, do not buy! Those "starter bacteria" are all found in dirt and you do not need to waste your money.
- Keep the pile moist; if you have fish add their water when you are cleaning out their tank.
- Optional: If you really want to produce high quality compost, add some worms. (This is called vermicomposting.) You will need to add fruit peelings and coffee grounds as an additional feed for the worms but they will also eat the dog stool. They will produce a high quality fertilizer. By the time the worms have consumed your dog stool compost you will have high quality humus that will contain no pathogens. There are many articles available on how to farm red worms and if you want to go this direction you really should read more. If you run into any that tell you not to use dog waste, they are wrong. They are repeating incorrect information.
An acquaintance of mine has an organic coffee plantation; he maintains all of the plants only on humus produced by his worms. If you have purchased organic coffee at Starbucks or your grocery store then you already use humus. If you use worms you will be able to produce your own.
If you are fecophobic, you can add dog waste in biodegradable bags to your compost heap. It is going to take many more years to return to soil if you use this method, and I certainly do not suggest trying to add worms as they will have nothing to feed on.
Will Dog Feces Kill the Worms in My Compost?
Some dogs are given a monthly topical flea control or now take an oral flea control. These medications work in several ways but most of them affect the nervous system of insects. Those that do not cause the insect´s exoskeleton to not form correctly.
They all affect insects. Earthworms, those wonderful animals that help build your compost, are annelids, not insects. There are no studies done to show that these products will affect your earthworms, even in massive quantities, and in the tiny quantities passed in dog feces the people recommending you not use dog feces for this reason are being ridiculous.
If you are willing to spend the time to compost your dog´s stool, I hope that you use natural flea control instead of applying yet another chemical to your dog.
How to Use Dog Poop After Composting?
I would not eat a teaspoonful of dog waste compost. Neither would I eat a teaspoonful of humanure compost, chicken manure compost, or fresh dirt. If you have maintained a proper composting system the product will have no pathogens, but I still recommend it be used on your lawn, on your ornamental bushes, and around your trees. I have about a dozen coconut and many banana trees that are always searching for additional nutrients. If you have fruit trees, a hedge, or a lawn they will appreciate the compost and pay you back by flourishing.
The compost is ready to be used when it looks like regular soil. I cannot tell you an exact time because it will vary depending on your environmental conditions. If you live in the northern US your compost heap will not even heat up during the winter; here in the tropics (and with a healthy worm population working on my compost), my pile is usually ready to spread in about three months. I have compost piles in several areas and tend to leave it longer.
If you want to destroy our environment by selfishly throwing your dog´s stool into our landfills, flushing it down the toilet, or (even worse) buy a product that freezes the feces before you pick it up just so that the task will be a little easier, perhaps you are not the type of person who should even be owning a dog.
Think about it.
Are You Ready to Be a Responsible Dog Owner?
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
Questions & Answers
I have had a puppy for two months now, and would like to compost its waste. What do you do about the smell? The trash can smells pretty bad when poop is tied up in disposal bags in it. Wouldn't the smell be worse if the poop were just loose in a compost pile? Also, in Indiana, I will probably have to use a bin, since a pile will be covered with snow in the winter.
As long as you use plenty of grass clippings to cover the dog stool each time you toss it on the compost, there is no smell. It does not stink like the stool in the trash because it is covered up and starts breaking down as soon as you add it to the compost.
I use wood shavings to cover my pile, and in your area, you will probably need to use leaves in the fall and winter.
I would not worry about the snow. The heat from the compost will probably melt the snow on top, and the moisture will leach into your compost. Just keep a bag or pile of leaves next to your compost pile or bin to throw on top of the stool as you add it.
Helpful 29I have considered this several times, but I live in Minnesota. Is there any issues you see or modifications you would make given that the compost bin will be frozen for several months of the year?
I think the main thing you will have to account for is the cold will make the digestion process last a lot longer. I start a compost pile about every 3 months; if I were in your area I would not want to do so more than once a year. Let the pile build so that it will heat up in the spring and summer and do not even think of using it until the compost appears to be digested dirt.
Helpful 6I have four and sometimes more dogs. They produce 2-3 lbs of waste daily, and are fed a primarily raw diet. Do I need to turn the compost pile? And if so, how often? Will I need any additional enzymes, or will grass clippings, leaves and dirt alone do it?
You do not need to add enzymes or other additives. The material that you add will have bacteria that will allow the compost to develop naturally.
Yes, you need to turn it a few times until it is digested. I usually wait until the compost bin is full and then turn the whole pile into my next bin. Do so again in a month or two (depending on how warm it is where you are at.)
Helpful 16We live in Southern Cal so we would probably have to go the trash can route. Do the lawn clippings used in composting have to be fresh? We don't mow the lawns every week, every 2 weeks, so I imagine we would have to stock pile some clippings before getting started. Also, do you have to turn the mixture as it composts in the trash can? If so, how often does the compost have to be turned and how long could we expect the composting process to take to be able to use this in the planters?
If you are using the trash can it is a good idea to keep a bale of straw next to your compost to add to keep your compost from clumping up. How often do you need to turn it? The more often the better, at least once a week, but if you do not turn it at all the compost will still work, just take longer. With a trash can, it will take about three to six months, depending on how warm your area is. (Here in the tropics it takes about 3 months, probably will not be much longer in southern Cal.)
Helpful 6Can wood ashes be used as a carbon product when composting dog feces?
Ashes are just minerals that are left over after the carbon has been destroyed in the fire. They are great to add but should be layered on after you put down the dog feces and grass clippings or leaves (the carbon source).
Water will help the ashes mix into the compost. When your compost is full, and you are ready to turn it into the next pile, the wood ashes will be mixed in even more. Your compost will be great.
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© 2012 Dr Mark
Comments
AUTHORSarah, you have not looked into this very much then. You might consider the oral chemicals easier to use but that does not mean they are more effective.
Before you judge the edible chemical parasite control for dogs please keep in mind why they are used. I live in CT and we are a hotbed for Lyme. I have quite a few friends with the dibilitating disease and have had a dog with kidney damage because of it. I would rather give my pup medicine that will kill tiny disease carrying deer ticks than have her suffer through Lyme disease.
- AUTHOR
Cynthia, there are a lot of biodegradable cat litters available. You just have to check around.
The problem with cat "dooky" is a parasite called toxoplasmosis. That parasite is the reason gardeners get upset about cats going in their garden, and moms get upset about cats going in their kid´s sandbox. It should be destroyed with composting, but just to be sure I would not use cat compost in the garden. It would be fine to use in the yard, around the trees, etc.
Thanks for taking the time to ask.
We're cat owners, so would appreciate a bit more info on composting cat waste. I don't recall seeing any kitty litter labelled biodegradable, so what do we look for? Are there any special differences in cat dooky (another poster's word, I love it) that would cause us to change any of your directions?
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The diet matters a lot too. When I am able to feed only raw, the feces is very dry and easy to clean up. When I have to use commercial food the stool is a mess so it is better to leave it a little longer and let the sun dry it out.
Thanks for stopping by.
This info helps. We have a slope that our dog uses, but the area hardly gets scooped up. I how feel perfectly comfortable picking up the sunbaked poop and tossing it in the compose bin.
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Pamela, that is a good idea but if I was using lime, and not wood ashes, I would want to have a soil test done to see if the pH changes are worth the extra cost.
If you are just spreading the compost around your flowers, it is probably not.
Wood ashes though, if free, are an excellet addition to improve the quality of your compost.
What about the addition of some barn lime to keep the poop from stinking and to hasten healthy rot? Barn lime sold at the local Tractor Supply, or Farm and Garden type store is inexpensive. Fancy pelleted garden lime can be quite expensive, so thats not what you want to use. Also, wood ashes can be used in place of barn lime.
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JS MysMan--wow, 200 dogs! That will be a lot of work, but can also be an excellent source. As far as flies, there is no problem as long as you cover the feces as soon as it is put down each day. You can use grass clippings, wood shavings, old leaves, straw, etc. If the shelter cannot obtain adequate grass clippings you can buy a few bales of straw and leave them next to the compost. Instruct the persons cleaning the pens to break open a flake of straw and spread it on the feces each time it is added.
One of your main problems will also be what to do with so much compost. There is a limit to how much can be added to a lawn, but if you also use vermicomposting you can give it away to the volunteers at the shelter to take home and spread under their trees.
Best of luck. Let me know if you have any questions I can help you with as you proceed with your admirable project.
Hello
I have been asked to assist a dog shelter (approx. 200 small to medium sized dogs) with a landscaping plan. I need to figure out a way to dispose of the dog poop in an environmentally friendly way. I am thinking of using the pile method and giving them three piles. One of new poop, one maturing and one ready. They are concerned about flies while the piles are maturing. What can be done to mitigate that?
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As far as the worms and the chickens, I cannot imagine there would be any problems. My chickens eat a lot worse, and eat the worms and beatles out of the stool from my dogs and livestock.
I am not sure how thick it can be, but when it rains or you water it the grass is going to be exposed so it will start growing through. I would think you would have to put 4 or 5 inches on top to create a problem.
Two months is great. I think you can let the dogs on there as soon as it moves down into the soil a bit, a week or so.
Good luck digging that next pit. Fun, huh?
Dr, Mark thanks sooo much! I left the mulch pit for two months before pulling it all out and putting it on the grass, so can the dogs go ahead have access? I saw your pic of the three pits, I only have enough room for 1 more and i will be digging that this week-great idea by the way, no down time :) . When putting it on the grass, (St. Augustine by the way) if I cover the top of the grass top with too much mulch, will it kills the grass? (seems like it will, so I will be careful not too). Your info is INVALUABLE!!! So glad I found your site!! So many said don't put in the poop!!!
Last questions (for now lol) Gave a friend with chickens a 5 gallon bucket with a bunch of worms-is it okay for her chickens to eat the worms?
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bone2bwild--how long ago did you stop adding feces before you took it out and spread it on the grass? If it had been several months, no problem as the parasite eggs, if any, would have all been destroyed. If you added it until the last day then there is more likelihood of there being parasite eggs in the compost, and the ground where you spread it has to be kept "dog free" even . There is controversy on how long, but at least several months.
I would stop worrying about wetting it. It will not heat up any more once spread out. The earthworms probably left plenty of egg packages in the compost that was left in the pit, so you will not need to add any later.
Not sure if that muck in the middle is heating up or not. I would spread it on plants where the dogs do not have access. A flower bed? I would not worry about the rocks.
It sounds like you have already done a great job. I am glad someone out there is thinking about the right thing to do!
I run a dog day care and created a 4' wide, 4' deep mulch pit in the ground. I have been filling and turning it for 1.5 years, with cuttings, dirt and poop. There were thousands of worms . Yesterday it was ready to empty. I put all of it on the grass yard areas and fenced off those areas so no dogs can get to them. Couple questions: Now that it is on the grass, keep it wet? How long until the dogs can play on it again? Was I supposed to wait for the worms to burrow back into the ground inside the mulch pit before putting on the grass? I also have a lot of gravel and rocks, and lots of the rocks and gravel ended up in the mulch pit-not gonna remove rocks and gravel form dogs poop lol is that a problem? I have my sink water running into the pit to keep it moist, but all the water kind of drops into a central area of the pit, so I have a lot of "black clay-like" goo-should this not be used? It looks and smells funny, not like the rest of the pit-that mulch looked and smelled amazing!
- AUTHOR
Aaron, the parasite eggs, if there are any, would still be present for that month. As far as spreading, however, this is not possible. If you were to eat the compost before it was ready you could become infected.
What is the solution? Do not eat it. At the moment I have my compost piles in a low area of my garden. When it does rain, the water is not going to rise up to the level of my peanuts and sweet potatoes, much less to the height of my corn. Your idea of putting the compost pile where the excess runs to the river is excellent.
If your dogs are free from internal parasites this is not even an issue. All you have to do is let the pile warm up enough to destroy the bacteria in the feces. Time will also do this, and I have several piles so I always leave my compost unitl it is quite old anyway.
Thanks for reading. I appreciated your comments.
No comments for a while but great advice. We are trying to find a way to properly dispose of our dog waste. They can fine people in our town for left out dog waste even in your yard. We live close to rivers, beaches and the concern over parasites is their reason. They say to throw it out in our trash however. I see that as adding to a problem, it could just pollute water elsewhere. Also we compost anyway to reduce waste and what goes into landfills. Flushing would add to our septic which would pollute anyways, So we figured there must be a safe way to contain it, kill the parasites, and ultimately compost it so it's safe.
My only question and concern is composting with drainage holes, if it takes a month or longer to reach the temps of 130-165* to kill the parasites would that still be safe during that period or is there a risk of parasites spreading until they're destroyed? That's the only upside to the septic system I see is containment. So the main reason I want to compost is to prevent parasites from spreading, is that the best option for that?
We are planning a spot for this away from our food gardens, our normal compost pile, and where the water runs down to the river the best possible.
As we now have my daughter's chocolate labrador visiting occasionally, this makes for interesting reading.
As a pet owner in an apartment complex in Huntsville, Alabama, I am wondering how to properly compost my dog's waste. The only composting facilities are in TN and GA, and I do not know if they accept dog waste. Furthermore, the cost with properly transporting said waste makes that option infeasible. I suppose I will have to figure out via YouTube and other materials how to build my own very small anaerobic digestion device / composting apparatus. It is a pity that the majority of dog owners here just leave their poop on the grass, and that this will not likely change without a LOT of effort.
- AUTHOR
Thanks for reading! Imagine all of those dogs up in Alaska. What a lot of poo.
I have a compost heap and plenty of poo - I I'm happy to give this a try. Thanks for the great hub - it makes sense to me!
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Thanks for your great comments. There are not nearly enough people cognizant of just how important this issue is. Most pet owners just think throwing it in the trash makes the problem go away!!!
Finally some sensible advice about composting pet poop. You're spot on. Healthy dogs don't produce diseased waste. Even if they did, the temperature and microbial competition in the compost pile will kill any pathogen-laden poop. Composting the waste is the only responsible way to dispose of it. Glad to see someone else out the advocating it.
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Thanks I set up my "featured hubs" a little differently, and am not sure that would work. I am thinking about changing it a little, though, so will keep this in mind.
No problem I'm glad I could help! Since posting this comment yesterday, I did a little experiment. I had my most popular hub as my first "featured" hub on my profile page. I took that down last night and put up one of my hubs that was not as popular and had the 'traffic failing' triangle next to it.
The result: My not as popular hub is no longer losing traffic and had more views. My most popular hub had a 'traffic failing' triangle, with not as many views as usual.... Might be a good idea to feature this hub if you really want more people to see it.
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Thanks for the tip. I just added five new tags with "garden" and also added some that have nothing to do with dog waste, like "how to compost". I appreciate you taking the time to help.
Hey DrMark, I just read this, and it is really interesting! I know we talked about tags, maybe you should include a tag about gardening somehow, considering you do mention that this is "a nutrient that will improve your yard and trees". Just a thought... :)
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No, anthrax sporulates. I think you can destroy the spores by warm heat but I would have to research it.
Interesting. What is the life stage of Anthrax that can survive for years in the soil? I thought that was the prion.
- AUTHOR
Toxoplasmosis cysts should be destroyed just as easily as toxocara (roundworm) cysts.
No research has been done on prions, but I suppose that they would be very easy to kill in compost. Much easier than other organisms, in fact.
How well does that work on prions?
Depending on where you live and how your sewage system works, flushing cat dooky can transmit toxoplasmosis to other animals. Otters are especially susceptible.
- AUTHOR
Hey wetnosedogs this seems tailor-made for your situation! I can only imagine how many bags of dog food you go through in a month.
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Hi Dirt Farmer! There are as many misconceptions about the use of dog poo as there are about the use of humanure. Even if you do not measure the temperature of your compost pile, turning it frequently should provide adequate mixture of any pathogenic organisms. Even if you do not want to turn it, using the dog waste compost as a worm bed will provide you plenty of nearly-sterile humus to use on your garden. EVEN if you don´t trust your worms, you can use the humus/compost on your lawn and hedges. And living in Maryland, your compost pile is going to be inactive during the winter so if I were you I would only harvest and utilize the humus twice a year (late spring and early fall).
Thanks for the comment Mary. I know my Maltese does not provide enough stool for a large heap but with my Pit Bull the situation is quite different. Leaving it in the yard is not good though because it attracts flies. If you collected it and threw it in a corner, then covered it with a little grass each day, in a few years there would be soil there and it would never smell nor draw flies. I realize it does not seem necessary but it is a better alternative.
Very interesting hub. Something I didn't know at all.
Geez. I don't know! Sometimes compost doesn't heat up enough to kill weed seeds, although it looks okay. Can I be certain my compost is hot enough to kill the pathogens in dog poo without taking the compost's temperature?
Wow! I just learned something new today. Thanks for all this great info. My miniature schnauzer poops about the size of a pencil, thank goodness. She has her very own private large yard. I just leave it there. Maybe I'm wrong.
I voted this UP, etc. and will share.
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I forgot to add, thanks for your visit! I want to get this message out to as many people as possible and was really disappointed at all the bad suggestions I saw on the internet. Thank you again for taking the time to read this.
- AUTHOR
That is a much better way to dispose of it than a landfill, but even human waste that is sent to a sewage treatment plant is wasted (another pun!). I don´t know how big your yard is but I do know you utilize organic products; do your purchase chemical fertilizers for your lawn? Your Schnauzer´s waste could be used in place of those fertilizers and at the same time you would be decreasing the burden on your towns sewage treatment system.
This is interesting, but since my dog uses our back yard for her potty place, I simply "scoop the poop" from the ground and flush it down the toilet in my bathroom. This eliminates (sorry about the pun) the need to toss it in the trash. Works for me.
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